I Heart Isabell Kraemer's designs

I can't believe that it's been a year since my last post.  That's not to say that I haven't been knitting.  I'm just really bad about remembering to take photos before giving away my work as gifts. Pictures say it all!  SO, let this be a new year!

In my last post, I wrote about working on Isabell Kraemer's "Caramel" blanket cardigan using Cascade Ecological.  It has turned out to be one of my favourite pieces - cozy and comfortable, yet stylish.  What  I have discovered in the past year is that I love Isabell Kraemer's designs.  All her patterns strike a balance been style and functionality.  Although I tend to shy away from large projects, such as adult sized sweaters, I am currently working on Kraemer's Driftwood sweater, which I will write about when that sweater is complete.

To break up the monotony of knitting a sweater, I often take a break with a smaller project and when I discovered Kraemer's "Muh-Muh's" scarf pattern, I knew it was time to put Driftwood aside for the time being.  I originally intended to make this scarf as a Mother's Day present for my one and only.  However, shortly after casting on, I realized it would be too overwhelming for my mom who's slight in build and barely 5 feet tall.  But, it was perfect for me!  

Never having used Lion's Pride Woolspun (bulky weight) before, I must admit that I quite like it.  It's soft and spongy in texture and has an interesting twist to it.  There's just enough acryllic in it to keep its shape and give it a light bounce.  I completed the scarf in a record five days and realized that I had to make one for my best friend Melana.  I created her scarf in a blue and purple scheme and boxed it up just in time for her birthday.

And now it's back to Driftwood.  I have one arm and half a torso to go.  I hope to finish it and post it soon.

Get Your Bootie On!

As I mentioned in my previous post, there seem to be so many more styles of baby booties for girls.  When I found out that a family friend had a baby girl, I just had to make her something ultra-feminine and cute.  SO…  off to Ravelry I went.

I made baby Elaina Rose slippers with cross straps. The pattern (free at Saartje Knits, courtesy of Saartje de Bruijn) called for fingering weight yarn.  I happened to have fingering weight yarn in my stash, but after finishing the first slipper, I thought it would be too small.  How wrong I was!  I had forgotten how small newborns actually are.

I made them again using a combination of Debbie Bliss’ Baby Cashmerino (pink trim) and another baby double knit weight.  They turned out beautifully and the best part was that I knit them up in the morning of my visit.  O.k., I admit that I had to finish sewing on the buttons during the visit, but oh well!  The end result, using the double knit weight yarn, was a size 3 - 6 month slipper.  The pattern was easy and the final product was satisfying.  This will definitely be one of my go to patterns for baby gifts.

These Boots Were Made For Walking

Well, at 9 months, my son Adrian is far from walking but these little boots will sure keep his feet warm over the winter.  I wanted to knit a pair of booties for Adrian and had a hard time finding the right pattern.  I scoured the internet and found more often than not, the bootie patterns leaned to a more feminine design.  I came across Christy Hill's Boot Style Red and White Baby Booties pattern and saw the possibilities.  The design is darling.  They have a gumboot shape and the contrasting colour gives the appearance of a sole.  I am hoping that the high boot will prevent Adrian from kicking them off easily.  Fingers crossed - he's quite the Houdini!

Looking at completed project pictures on Ravelry, it seems that most knitters have used acrylic worsted yarn for this pattern.  Acrylic yarn is a sensible choice when knitting for kids as it can go in both the washer and dryer.  However, on my first run at this pattern, I tried using turquoise and white acrylic yarn from my stash and the finished bootie looked too feminine.  I think it was a combination of the bright colours and the shininess of the acrylic.  So, I tried again with Cascade Ecological - a bulkier yarn with more muted colours.  I sized up to a US 5 needle and got the results I was looking for.  The Cascade Ecological gave the booties a more rugged feel and look.  

Christy Hill's pattern is very clear and easy to follow.  It took me about 2 hours in front of the tv to knit each boot.  Seaming and tucking in the ends seemed to take just as long (not my favourite task when it comes to knitting :)  This pattern is a keeper and I will certainly be knitting more of these beauties for gifts.